Automobile signal



Feb. 20, 1923. 1,446,169.

S. FASCI- v 'AUTQMOBILE SIGNAL.

FILED DEC. 1, 1921.

Patented Feb; 2%, 1923.

SEBASTIANO FASCI, or scorn WEYMOUTI-I, MASSACHUSETTS. Q

AUTOMOBILE srenA f Application filediliece mber 1,1921 Serial No. 519,049," r l i I 'T all whom it may concern.

' Be it known thatI, Sn'nns'rmno FAsoI, a

citizen of the United States, and a resident 'ofSouthlNey'mou-th, in the county of; Nor

folk and, State of Massachusetts, have invented a a new and useful Improvementin Automobile signalaiofwhich the following is. a; specification:

invention relates to automobile signals, and its object, is to provide a device for signalling to followingivehicles that the operat1onof a car is about tolee-changed, as for example that it isabout-to turn to the right or the left withthe usual preliminary slowing down, or that it is about to stop or back or to slow down without turning, and

t signal such information withoutthe use vofvmulti-coloredlights or Words or letters which are visible only forrelatively short distances, and to signal to" persons in front of the car. that the car is about to turn to .ithe right or to] the left,

With these objects in yiew my invention comprises a'rear ,js1gnal in the formvof a rotatable disc with distinctive markings such for example as relatively large openings,

each surrounded by aband-of color contrast- -F'ig.2,1sa front-view ofan' automobile I provided with my improved front signal; Fig. :3 is a front elevation of-the rear i scale of one of the front signals;

ing with the color of thedisc and means operable by the driver for rapidly rotating said disc in one direction,a spring; or other resilient means servlng to bring the disc to its normal position by a rapid rotary movement,

vasset forth in my application Serial No. [499 141, filed September 8,1921, together with front signals consisting of semaphores arranged"inproximity to the head lamps principle of my I invention f spirit thereof lfi represents'fahousing-ea .By means of the spiral 'rear;wall of the casing, respectively; a'finger 17 on said disc is maintained normally against the stop member 18 fixed to the.in-

@thereof in frontiof the tail light lli The disc is provided with distinctive marlrings shown inthe present instance as a plurality I "of holes 19,- 20,-"21, eachsurroundedby a [bandof color 23, which contrasts "with the 4 is a "front elevation v on an enlarged is? a ivertical section taken onnthe i In the part cular drawings 1' selected for more :Eu'llydis-closing my invention rand which itj willfbe' understood are merely il lustratiyeand not restrictiye inasmuchas my invention may be embodied. in variety of apparatus without, departing from; the

'cured'in any suitable"mannerfito the .rear

end of an automobile and'enclosin'gfthe tail .1, lamp 111. I Located within'said housing'and a covering theiront thereof a disc 12 of n f a metal or other "suitable material," said disfcfiO being fixedly secured to the shaft18h'avy ing its bearings in :the rear Wall of said housingand in the collar 14 secured to'said .h'o-usinglby the rods 15. a

p s ringimmving its ends attached to said shaft, and to'xthe' nerf surface of said housing, said spring being under a certain amonnt ofltei siojn when said finger is'in engagementivvith'said. stop f member, whereby sald Cl1SC 1S ma ntained in its normal position with theopeninglQ color of the. disc, alth'oughjit willibe obvions that: various v other {forms 'of distinctive markings may be employed; I v H i s ng" e e a P 16312 r midlrj. ur

to the shaft 18 is acord25 suitably uided to apoint in proximity to the driverisoitha ti 9 5 by} pulling the cord forward, a rigid'rotary I movementis imparted toithe disc 12* and by releasing said clord' the spring'16 will'restore the '1' disc to; its normal position .arapid: ,irotary HiOVBlnG-shfl thereby lca usingtheldisc to whirl mpi 11y nathus intermittently "1 ut se -e d fi s nstbel sht a. lamp] when,,the latter-is employed? For of the tail daylight signalingwhen the tail lamp is.

no=t lighted,'the' rapid rotation otthe disc providedasaforesaid with distinctive'n arle' u ing's is irisiblQ-, formuch; greater; distances than pointers and-characters ordinarily employed for automobile signalling};

Vf'rious; means may be employed op- '1 10 eratingthe rear signalby meansofthe cord 2 l ias hereinafter more fully set figrth v will I prefer to use a single apparatus whereby said rear signal is actuated simultaneously with either one of the forward signals, consisting in the present instance of semaphores 26, 26, located in proximity to the head lamps 27, 27, respectively. Eachsemaphore preferably of red glass is carried by an arm.

28 rigidly secured to the rock shaft 29 on whichv is mounted a pulley 30 around which passes a cord 31, one end of such cord being secured to said pulley. By means of the helical spring 32 having its ends secured to one of thewalls of the casing 33 and thero'ck shaft 29, respectively, the semaphore is maintained in a vertical position with the finger 34 projecting from said rock shaft in engagement with the stop member 35 attached to the side wall of said casing. It will be obvious that asthe cord 31 is unwound from the pulley .30, the semaphore may be rotated through an arcof about ninety degrees across the face of its adjacent headlight as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, and thereby signal the information that the car is about to make a turn in the direction corresponding with the position on the car of the semaphore which has been moved to a horizontal position.

One of the numerous means whereby one of the semaphores may be actuated without moving the other is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1 wherein'36 indicates a forked lever secured for oscillation about the steer ing post 37, the cords 31, 31' being attached to the ends of the fork. It will be obvious that as the handle 38 of said lever is turned slightly about the steering post in one direction, the semaphore 26 will be moved across the face of its adjacent headlight to indicate that the car is to make a turn to the right,'while the semaphore 26 will remain stationary, and that when it is moved about the steering post in the opposite direction, the cord 31 will be drawntoward the rear and the semaphore 26 moved to horizontal position to indicate that the car is to turn to the left.

Inasmuch as a turn in either direction is preceded by a reduction in speed, it is desirable to signal to the following cars the fact that the automobile is about to change its operation, and one of the various ways in which this result may be effected is indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 1, viz., the cords 39, 39 are secured to the cord 25 and to the respective forks of the lever 36, so that an oscillation of the handle 38 in either direction will draw the cord 25 forward and whirl the disc 12. It will b'enoted that it is not necessary that the following cars should know in which direct-ion the signalling car is about to turn or in fact that its change of operation involves a turn. The driver, of the car following on observing the whirling of the disc 12 is'at once informed that the signalling car is about to change its operation and accordingly he reduces the speed of his own car in preparation for such change whether the same is to be a stop or a turn or merely a slowing down. If desired a knob 40 may be fixed on the cord 25 in proximity to the driver to provide for the independent oscillation of the rear signal, as when the car is about to reduce its speed without turning, or to stop or to back. 7

In order to ensure the reception by the following cars of the signals transmitted by the disc 12 when the car is about to make a turn, the driver preferably will oscillate the handle 38 several times about the steering post 37 in such manner as to move only'one of the semaphores from vertical to horizontal .positions several times, that is, by moving the handle 38 from its normal position to the right and back to normal several times, or to the left and back to normal several times, finally maintaining it to the right or left of normal until hissignal has been acknowledged by the traflic officer. In this manner the disc '12 will be given a number of rapid oscillationsin both directions and the cars in the rear will haveample opportunity to reduce their speeds. I i

It will be understood of course that the unitary means for moving either semaphore without actuating the other and operating the rear signal for each movement of either semaphore, may be located on the dash board or in any other position which is convenient to the driver, and that it may be operated by a treadle.

Having thus particularly described an illustrative embodiment of my invention without limiting the same thereto, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An automobile signal comprising ,in combination, head lamps located on either side of the car, semaphores arranged in proximity to said lamps, respectively, and a unitary means for moving either semaphore across the face ofits adjacent lamp without actuating the other semaphore.

2. An automobile signal comprising in combination, head lamps located on either side of the car. semaphores arranged in jn'oximity to said lamps, respectively, a unitary means for moving either semaphore across the face of its adjacent lamp Without actuating the other se'maphore,a rotatable disc having distinctivemarkings located at the rear of the car, a connection between said disc and said means whereby theactuacombination, apparatus located on the forward portion of the car for indicating the direction in which said car is about to turn,

apparatus located on the rearward end of 5 the car for indicating that said car is about to change its operation, a unitary means for actuating the forward and rearward appa- In testimony whereof,

vember,

sEBA sriANor soL, 

